Corn Mazes and Cowards
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Ally is dragged by Trish to work at a haunted house for the Halloween season. She's terrified, but ends up enjoying herself, and the slightly quiet yet absolutely gorgeous Austin Moon, who works in the corn maze. He's got his own horror story to tell... can she crack him and enjoy more than just the spooky season, or will he leave her heart broken and just scared?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Happy Halloween! So, before I get to update my stories, I thought I'd write a Halloween story for you all. I've recently become addicted to one of my local haunted houses (if you live on Long Island, go check out Schmitt Family Farm's Haunted Mansion and Corn Maze, you won't regret it) and thought it'd be awesome to write a story about our lovely little group working at one. I'm also me, so I added some torture and lovely stuff to satisfy my need to write as well. All in all, it's a really sweet and scary story and I think you all will love it. Now be good my goblins and ghouls, and enjoy the day because you only get one to be scary!**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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><p>"I don't even like to sleep with the lights off!" Ally Dawson exclaimed as she followed her best friend Trish De La Rosa through the parking lot of their school, her eyes wide and her heart hammering. Why was that? Trish had just signed the two girls up to volunteer at a haunted house for the next two months. Forget weekends of reading and working on her music in the store. No, she had to work at some freak show where people thought it was fun to be scared. And if you haven't caught it just yet… Ally Dawson doesn't like to be scared.<p>

"Oh, live a little, Ally." Trish laughed effortlessly as she opened her car door, giving her friend a look. "It's all just a show. You're going to be the one working, so it's not like you have to go through the event either! You'll be dressed up, scaring others! It'll be awesome."

"They'll fire me the first day! I can't even say the word boo without shivering!" As if on cue, she did. "See?!"

"They can't fire you. You volunteered!"

"I quit then!"

Trish giggled, "That's my job!"

Two days later and no luck in convincing Trish that this was a bad idea, they took the drive into the country to where the haunted house took place. It was in the middle of nowhere, where there was just gravel roads and too many woods for it to just be 'fake'. It sent chills down her spine as Trish practically giggled her way there, while Ally tried to calm her beating heart.

"This is dumb," she said. And she hated the word dumb. Not many things were. But this was. "I can't do this. I don't want to do this! Are you sure it's even fake? Look at these woods, Trish! We're going to get murdered! Imagine the shock and horror on my family's face when the police deliver the news! They'll never forgive you!"

"For someone who is so afraid of this, you sure are a great storyteller," Trish commented, raising her eyebrows. "And relax. This place has been going for over a decade. And no murders yet. At least, not for the workers. Can't say no one has died of fright."

"Trish!"

They arrived a few minutes later to a group of people standing around. A large group of people. Some were young, like them probably still in high school and others were older, maybe in college. And then there were adults, too. They all seemed to be waiting as they parked and joined them. Groups chattered around her. Some of them seemed to know each other and Ally couldn't help but think she was not going to fit in here. She still couldn't figure out why her friend couldn't ask someone like Cassidy, who was much more put together than her to do this. Forget her. She was going to die the first day.

"Thank you all for being on time!" A voice boomed suddenly. A middle aged man parted the crowd, carrying a skull in one hand and something equally as creepy in the other—a head of some sort. Ally squirmed and hid behind Trish. "I'm so pleased by the turnout this year to help put this show on. We do have several paid actors who do this each year, but we also are greatly run by volunteers. So, for that I thank you. We're one of Miami's biggest haunts and with opening weekend only two weeks away, we have a lot of work to do!"

"Now please," another man stated, coming up beside the first man. "Listen closely. That was Jim, my fellow owner of Scared and Screaming! We are going to first check you all in, and then we're going to set you up with a team of people who will decide what capacity you will be working. Returning volunteers get preference over first timers, but we try to work to the best of your abilities too. For example, you might want to play Michael Myers, but you might only be five foot tall. That won't work. For the next few minutes, it'll be chaos. But that's how it works here. It always works out in the end. Now, roll call!"

Ally shivered as names started to be called out. Trish bounced up and down on her heels, grinning at her best friend who only glared back. Their names were called and they were escorted over to a young woman who was probably in college. She smiled warmly at all of them and Ally was captivated by her simple beauty. She looked around and then stated, "Let's double check this. We have Trish De La Rosa, Ally Dawson, Dez Wade, and Austin Moon, right?"

Ally glanced to the side where two boys were standing, with expressions similar to Trish. She noticed the redhead first, tall and lanky who looked ready to burst. Dressed as if he was already in costume, he grinned at her like they were already friends. She raised her eyebrows and shifted her gaze, only to lay her eyes on the most beautiful boy she'd ever seen. Tall and blond but much more filled out than his counterpart, the other boy looked at her with timid eyes. He smiled, but much more apprehensively.

"Ally?"

"Oh? Yes!"

The girl smiled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"You'll be doing a lot of that," Trish snickered quietly.

Ally rolled her eyes. "Hi. Sorry."

"I'm Luna. I'll be working with each of you for the next week. What are your strengths? What do you like to do?"

"Uh?" Ally had no idea. She knew her strengths outside of this place, but she didn't think she had any strengths when it came to a haunted house. "I'm not sure. Trish sort of dragged me here. I don't even think I could make it through the house, let alone work it." She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't know."

"That's okay," Luna assured them. "We'll work on it. First, let me show you some video of last year." The girls and boys followed after her, into a building where they had several TVs set up. Over the next few minutes, Luna explained that she had been working for the house since she was their age. She was now twenty three and was on her seventh year. They usually kept her in the actual house where she'd work as some sort of evil and deranged character, often made up to look bloody and gory while she screamed in people's faces. And she was great at it. Ally wanted to hide behind Trish the moment the TV came to life. They watched it for several minutes and then she took back the lead. "Now, that is one of the more advanced acts. You guys are new at this and until we can find your strengths and work on them, you'll probably be stuck on jump scares."

The boys looked disappointed.

"Don't look so sad, Dez and Austin. We do get some shining stars from time to time. Let's take a walk through of the house and I'll show you what we have to work with." Ally barely made it through. Even without the actors inside, the place was terrifying. There was cuts and turns, creepy mannequins and dolls. Blood covered some of the walls. And then there was the clown room. That alone made her want to run.

"Okay, I'm going to go speak with my boss, why don't you guys go grab some cider and I'll meet up with you in a few minutes?"

The beautiful girl disappeared and Ally was left with the three others in her group. Trish and Dez were arguing about something, leaving her to glance at the silent boy beside her. She smiled tentatively and walked a bit closer. "I'm Ally. You look a bit nervous. Are you scared?"

"Scared?" he scoffed. "No, not exactly. I want to do this."

Ally didn't push his comment further, but she didn't understand. "Well, I'm a bit nervous. I'm scared just walking through the house."

"Maybe this'll make you face your fears."

"I don't know. I hope so."

The group chatted for a few minutes, but Ally couldn't stop the butterflies in her stomach from each time Austin looked her way. But she couldn't help that he looked haunted himself. He didn't look scared when she caught a better look at him. But there was definitely something else, something that caught his interest. Not in a good way.

"What do you want to do?" Dez asked her and she blinked in surprise.

"Maybe work the concession stand." She smiled honestly and the boys laughed.

"You'll be fine," Dez assured her. "I've been wanting to do this for years!"

The group returned to Luna a few minutes later, who explained that they would be meeting with the costume director in a little bit and would start to work on their characters. The week ahead would be set for doing that, and setting up the actual scenes. The second would be for making sure everything was perfect. "I want you all aware that we have plenty of openings. We have a haunted house and a corn maze. You won't get stuck with something lame. Until next time though, have fun with the costumes!"

"Do you guys want to grab a bite to eat before we leave?"

Trish looked up to see the boys standing over them with creepy masks on. They screamed as the boys laughed, and finally Trish shoved Dez a little. "Only if you take those things off!"

Dez grinned. "I'll be working as a clown!"

"No surprise there," Austin grinned back, shoving his best friend.

Ally smiled, "What about you?"

Austin seemed surprised by her question, "Me?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I'm going to be working in the maze," he stated. "With a bunch of awesome props."

"What as?"

He seemed to shy away at the question, "What about you, Trish?"

"Jim wants to set me up with Luna. She thinks we'd work well together."

"Really? That's a great compliment!"

"Is it? Why?"

Austin again backed away from the question. "I mean, I would think so. She's a veteran here."

"Oh, right."

"Ally, what about you?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Luna really wants me to work in the event to overcome my fears, but I don't know if I can do it. She thinks because I like books and learning that I could work as a crazy librarian or something, but I'm still not sure. We're going to try it."

"I bet you can do it," he assured her. Ally smiled at Austin. "You'll do great."

"Thanks."

The group ended up getting together a couple times in the next few days and Ally was a bit convinced that Trish had a thing for Dez, even though she swore he was 'weird and dumb'. Every time they met up, she would catch her stealing glances at him. And she was falling head over heels for the handsome Austin, who never spoke much and when he did, it was cryptically and often a bit confusing. He believed in her though and when they insisted on making her the creepy librarian, he asked if she wanted any extra help with her costume and working on the scares.

"Thanks," she smiled. "I think I could."

And so, over the next two nights, they worked on her. She got better with the jumps (now she jumped out and scared people, not the other way around… after almost punching Luna once the first time, it had to be worked on) and even better with her character. She loved her old fashioned looking costume and the large, cracked glasses she got to wear. Her hair was completely disheveled and filthy looking. All in all, she looked scary! She couldn't believe it.

Austin was showing her how to wait for the perfect moment to jump out, explaining to go off of sound cues and the noises that people made. He turned the lights off in the house, and made plenty of noise coming up to her. Together, they made her the perfect character. "Thank you so much for all your help the last few days," she told him. "I couldn't have done it without you. Even Luna couldn't get me to do it right. But I feel bad! You only have a day or so for your character now before the walk through!"

"Oh, it's okay. I don't need it."

She offered a disbelieving expression, "Are you sure? I mean, it's not that I don't think you'll be good at it, but everyone needs practice." Was he really going to go into the haunted maze thinking he was perfect? That seemed a bit extreme.

"Believe me, I've had plenty of practice," he stated quietly. "Promise."

Ally shrugged, promising him he'd meet up with him in a bit and went to find Trish. What she ran into first though, made her even more confused. Luna and Jim were standing near the entrance of the corn maze, talked heatedly. "I don't want him doing it!" Jim stated angrily, pointing a finger at her. "You should have known better, Luna! It almost shut us down last time! We can't take the risk of that happening again, and let alone with his damn brother!"

"He wants to do it!" Luna yelled back, pushing away his arm. "He can do it! We fixed the malfunction and have run plenty of test runs. Nothing will happen this time. We're sure of it."

"I know he was your friend and I know you're protective of his brother," Jim said, his voice more level now, but somehow even more serious, "But this is not a game, Luna. He died. I know you know that. You went to his funeral. He died on this maze."

"Yes, he died doing what he loved," she seethed. "And he wants to honor that. So, let him."

"And what if something happens again? Do you think the press will not be all over that? We kept it out of the news for the most part last time, but it doesn't mean it will be this time! And his family. Do they even know he's working here? I'm sure they'd freak if they did!" Jim through his hands up. "I can't believe you went behind my back and did this! I won't tell you no, but it's all on you if it happens."

Luna sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Mitch was my best friend, Jim. I've watched Austin grow up. I won't let anything happen to him. I promise you that."

"You'd better be right," Jim snapped and then stormed off.

Ally finally cleared her throat, letting herself be known. She had no idea what she had just witnessed, but knew it had to do with something about Austin and what sounded like his brother. "Is everything okay?" she asked when Luna leaned against the maze fence. She looked worse for wear suddenly.

Luna managed a smile though. "Fine, Ally. Totally fine. How's it going?"

"Great. Austin just helped me finalize the scene. I think I'm ready."

She smiled widely, clapping her hands and coming back to life. Ally was too curious to what had just happened, but knew better than asking anything about it. She would mention it to Trish at some point that night and would love to ask Austin. He didn't seem to know Luna, at least not from what she could tell. What was that boy hiding? "That's great. You two work well together. Maybe if you come back next year, you could do a skit together! I think the fans would love it."

Ally shrugged. She did love what she was doing now, but she wasn't sure if it would last. What if the moment the fans came in, she broke? Her hard work would be completely down the drain. "I'm so proud of you," Luna stated. "You've come so far."

She supposed she was right, as everyone else said that to her over the next week as they did run throughs of the haunted house on other staff and tried their best to make sure everything was perfect. She didn't know what went on in the corn maze, as they usually ran the run throughs at the same time as she did her own. She wished to see what Austin's character was though and what he did. She had a feeling he was great at it, like she thought. She knew that Trish and Dez were fantastic. Trish especially. Luna made her come even more alive when they bounced off each other, and Dez was right at home in a clown costume, much like Austin had stated the first night.

They were ready.

The opening night was insane. Ally peeked out in her costume at the line that had formed down the dirt road in shock. It seemed to go on for miles and she couldn't believe it! They still had an hour until doors! The group was hanging out before hand though, talking and boasting about their characters. Austin, on the other hand, was very quiet much like he had been the first night they met, and often disappeared. She'd had enough. She'd spent the last two weeks getting so close to him and had even shared a few almost kiss moments. She wanted to know why he was the way he was and she looked for Luna for the answers.

"Luna!" she yelled, finding the girl flirting with one of the other actors that were her age. The girl turned around, waving goodbye to the guy and smiled at her.

"Hey! Are you ready? You look awesome!"

"You too! I am, but I wanted to ask you a question first, if that's okay."

"Of course," the girl assured her.

"What happened here? Why did you get into that fight with Jim the other day? And what does it have to do with Austin? He's acting weird and it worries me."

Luna for the first time since she met her, seemed taken back. She looked as if she wanted to tell the story, but then shook her head. Her smile turned apologetic, "I'm sorry, Ally. I can't tell you that. You'll have to ask him. I wouldn't do it right now though. I know he's nervous. He's got a big role. Remember how I told you there are stars that sometimes shine through right away? He's one of those. I will tell you this though, hopefully it'll make you understand: this runs in his family. He loves this."

Ally didn't understand. She was more confused. But she went about her business, knowing she had to get into character and take her place in the house so that she could begin her scares. An hour passed quickly and soon she could hear people giggling and screaming outside, some of the actors out there who were used to get them riled up. She waited, a bit patiently yet somehow still scared and glanced down the hallway where she could see one of her fellow actors standing in spot. Then there was a pounding on the wall, which signaled that someone was coming in. Ally got into place.

She could hear teenagers giggling now, and began to open and close books. She mumbled to herself, mostly her favorite quotes and then louder, scary things that the others could hear. She turned around last second, got into the face of a girl that would have been once her and screamed, "NO TALKING IN MY LIBRARY!"

She followed after them, pointing to a bloodied body on the floor. "THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TALK IN MY LIBRARY! COME ON, COME CLOSER."

The girls went out screaming into the next room and Ally had to bite back a laugh. She'd done it! She actually had done it. She had scared people and not herself. For the next couple of hours, she did just that. She loved every second of it and she couldn't wait for the next night. They ran all weekends, so she knew she'd be doing it every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. They were lucky though. The newbies got to have one night off where they could experience the house for themselves. They were divided evenly, so that there wouldn't be that many people missing from their stations. They also had back ups for themselves. Her night just so happened to be the second night, which made her happy. Everyone was in their characters at that point.

She thought about that as she closed out the first night and then went searching for her friends. All of them, including Austin, had smiles on their face. He was looking at her though, somehow already out of costume. It all felt like some huge secret. "How'd you do?" he asked.

"Great! I scared so many people!"

"Great job, Ally." He came forward and wrapped her into a huge hug, and Ally glanced at Trish, who gave her a thumbs up. She didn't miss her hand in Dez's. Some people moved fast, she supposed.

"Thanks. I can't wait to see you tomorrow night. It's my night off."

"Is it?" he didn't seem all that worried like she had expected. "Great. I hope I can scare you!"

"You can try," she teased. "I've become a scarer! You can't scare me."

They laughed and walked to their cars together.

Ally and Trish had the night off together, luckily and they headed there pretty early into the night. She was thrilled to experience the show and not be part of it, even if only for one night, and waited patiently on line with her best friend as others chatted around them. The fans had no idea what was in store and she knew they were in for a treat.

She took her free ticket from Jim, who told her to enjoy and than practically ran toward the line for the haunted house. She wanted to save the corn maze for last, since she knew Austin was in there. Trish kept babbling about how she hoped that Dez would still scare her inside and wouldn't do something sweet instead. Ally barely listened, her blood pumping and her excitement rising. Finally, they were let in. First, it was a room of what looked like zombies, and then a room of guts and gore. They got to what looked like a room out of Nightmare on Elm Street next, and she knew her room was after that. She walked bravely in, screaming out of pure fear when she even forgot where the hiding spot was! The other librarian, who worked her breaks and her days off bounced out, screaming at her for screaming and she couldn't help but smile back. She was terrified, but she loved it. She kept on, going to where Luna was, against a broken TV screen, whispering to it only to turn around in full costume, blood covering her mouth and broken shards of glass around her body. She got into their face, probably extra hard since she knew it was them, sending them screaming into the next room.

By the time they were finished (Dez upped the scare, thankfully), they were out of breath from being chased with chainsaws, and absolutely terrified.

"Corn maze!" Ally yelled excitedly. "Austin! Corn maze."

Trish laughed as she tried to catch up to her, "Who would have thought you'd be excited for this!"

"I am!"

They raced to the line, which was a bit shorter and waited to be let in. They were pushed first into a cloud of smoke, only to reveal stomped down corn stalks and a dark path before them. No lights. Ally shivered, her fear coming back, then pressed forward. At some point, she'd be seeing Austin. Even if he was in costume, she was excited. They walked past ghouls and clowns, past Jason from Friday the Thirteenth and some sort of werewolf. Finally, she saw him. He was part of a detailed set where he dangled from a tree, his body torn and bloodied, holding onto a rope that was close to hanging him. He screamed and pleaded with them to help him, but at one point, she saw him wink. Her cheeks burned in the night as if he could see her blushing, but continued. The set, where another guy with a chainsaw came at them, was awesome. He chased them into a circle where half of the exits were blocked. They had to race around, past the man chasing them and listen to Austin's screams of terror when they finally made it through and the man went back to kill them. They got chased by another clown and then finally were out. "Oh my God! That was insane! How was he hanging there and not actually getting hurt?"

"Magic," Trish laughed. "Well, acting magic. That was awesome. How did he get such a great part?"

Ally remembered what she heard Jim and Luna talking about and quickly explained it to her best friend. "Do you think his brother used to do that set?"

"I don't know. That's the only thing I can think of."

"Dez and I are going out tonight, you should ask Austin out and ask him."

"I don't know if I can," she admitted. "What if it's a really bad story?"

"You two are getting so close," she reminded her. "He has to tell you eventually."

Much to her surprise, he sought her out. "Do you want to grab something to eat after we're all closed up?"

Ally nodded. "Sure. Of course. You were awesome tonight, by the way."

He smiled. "Thanks."

So, they closed up and went to the nearest restaurant, still in their costumes. They got weird looks, but no one said a word. Ally was silent at first, but then Austin spoke up. He was the one to bring up what she couldn't stop thinking about, much to her surprise. He was looking at her directly in the eyes when he stated, "I wanted to apologize for how weird I've acted sometimes. I know it's freaked you out. I know you like me, and I really like you too, but this haunt means the world to me and sometimes I forget that I'm with other people who love it too. They don't understand why I do, though."

"I think I might," she whispered.

"No, you don't."

Ally was taken back by how mean he sounded when he said that, but she nodded, "I have an idea. I heard Luna and Jim talking the other day. They were arguing about you doing your scene. Jim said he didn't want to do a repeat of a few years back, but Luna defended you. I didn't even know you knew Luna previously before then."

"I didn't want anyone to know," he admitted. "I'll tell you the story, but you have to promise you don't think I'm insane. My parents don't know I'm here. They think I'm with friends and stuff. I'd be in so much trouble if they knew. I'm banned from haunted houses in their eyes forever."

"What happened?"

Austin smiled, "My brother and I always loved scary stuff growing up. Horror movies, haunted houses… Halloween was our favorite time of year. We lived for it. The best costumes and all we could get from it we did. A few years ago, Mitch discovered our little haunt here. He was all for it. He was only a couple years older than me, he was eighteen when worked for the haunt. Luna was twenty then, and it happened three years ago. Jim wanted a really scary scene in the maze. The house was doing great, but the maze was new, and they really wanted to sell the tickets. A few of the guys came up with the Texas chainsaw theme, and my brother was all for it. He'd been volunteering since he was sixteen and was great at it, so he offered to do it. Now, I know it looks real, but it's actually really safe now. There is no chance at actually being hung. Back then, it wasn't as good. They thought it was, but it wasn't. They had a first great opening nights. Luna was the second victim of the group, she came at the fans and screamed that he was coming. She was bloody, she scared everyone. Then, you came to Mitch. He hung from the tree, screaming for mercy and much like you saw me do. Chainsaw man, or as we know him right now as Joe, was to 'kill' him, but…" he paused and his voice wavered. "There was a malfunction," he finally stated.

Ally gasped in horror.

"The fans had no idea. They thought it was part of the act, and so did Luna. Mitch was crazy. He was more into it than me, he'd do anything for a scare. She thought he'd figured out a way to not actually choke himself, but hang naturally so that it looked more real. It wasn't like that. The thing he was secretly leaning on had fallen over and he suffocated as fans watched. They thought it was all part of the act… they didn't realize he was dying. The fans left, and Luna went to set up for the next group until she realized that she didn't hear Mitch getting ready. She turned around and noticed that he was just hanging limply then. By the time they were able to get him down and get the fans out, he was gone. They couldn't revive him. My parents didn't press charges because it wasn't the haunt's fault, but they never wanted me here again. They claim stuff like this is bound to happen at the haunt and it's only a matter of time until it happens again. I don't think of it that way. I know Mitch would want it to continue and he'd want someone to continue the scene, too. I know it's probably mental to what do be in the same ropes that killed my brother, but it's my tribute to him. It's my reminder that I'm doing what we both loved and that he lives on. You can't see it because we cover it with our bodies in the scene, but the tree has his initials carved into it and we also carved his favorite quote from his favorite horror movie in the tree too. There are all kinds of markings from everyone who has ever worked with him. They shut the scene down for several years following his death. No one would do it, and Luna couldn't do it. She won't come into the maze. She refuses to, but she knew I wanted to do something to pay homage to him, so she offered it to me this year. I love doing it, I feel close to him when I'm here. I can't explain it, but please don't think I'm crazy."

Ally didn't know what to say. It was a twisted story for sure, something she never expected to hear, but she felt for the boy and his fallen brother. She knew in a way what he meant though, and she couldn't judge. "I don't think you're crazy. I think you're absolutely insane, but in the best way possible. And I understand, so don't feel bad."

"Thank you." Austin smiled, clearing his throat. "No one but the actors who were here when it happened know about it. Everyone thinks he died in a car crash leaving the haunt to keep the haunt protected from damage, so please don't tell anyone else."

"I won't."

"Thanks."

"Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry that you lost your brother, too."

"It's okay," Austin smiled. "I know he's still here somehow. I feel him sometimes. Do you believe in ghosts?"

"I try not to think about them," she shivered.

Austin laughed. "Oh, Ally."

They were back on, on Sunday and prepared as they usually did. The other librarian was on the house that day, so she was put into the corn field to play a jump scarer. She had a lot of fun doing it, and she was also near Austin so she could hear him at times, too. They took intermission around ten and she went looking for him.

"You know what I totally forgot about?" she asked, as she handed him an apple cider, hot and absolutely delicious. They both carefully tried to drink it without ruining their make up.

"What's that?"

"You said you liked me the other night," she stated bravely. "Was that true, or were you just telling me a scary story?"

Austin laughed warmly, leading forward to hug her. "There is nothing false about that at all."

She shivered in the cool night air despite the warm drink. He looked into her eyes, and despite all the blood and gory make up, she saw the absolutely gorgeous and sweet boy she met almost a month before. Before she had a chance to say anything further, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips and sent different shivers down her spine. The good kind.

He backed away after it was all done, giving her a smile, but something else caught her eye. She thought back to what Austin had said during their dinner the night before. About how he always felt close to his brother there, and if she believed in ghosts. She couldn't be quite sure, since it was dark and she was tired, but she saw a boy leaning against the tree behind them, who looked just like Austin, with a huge smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**I um... I have too many ideas. And this keeps eating at me. Literally. Like a zombie! BRAINS! ... okay, but seriously. A lovely friend and reader of mine gave me an idea that spiraled out of control, and now this is going to be a short multi chapter. I don't know how many, but I'm excited for it. I hope you guys don't mind. And don't worry, I'm still working on my other stories, too.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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><p>"What's the matter?" Austin's alarm immediately brought her back to reality and she shook her head, looking back to where she thought she'd see the boy. He was gone. Ally smiled slightly, not too sure why she wasn't freaking out and just giggled. "Ally, you're scaring me."<p>

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" she teased, then nodded. "Sorry. I just zoned out."

"Guess my kiss was just that good, huh?"

"I would have never thought you so arrogant," she laughed.

They walked back toward the tree and Ally glanced around one more time. Did she believe in ghosts? She wasn't really sure. But there was no mistaking that he was standing right where she was right now, looking directly at her. Austin told her he'd be right back, he had to talk to Joe about their stunt, and she was left alone. Her nerves flared momentarily, then she relaxed. If it were his brother, he was harmless, she was sure of that too.

"He's doing you proud," she whispered, her voice shaking just a bit. "But I'm sure you know that."

The wind picked up and Ally scrambled away, having enough of her own scares. She found Austin with Joe and another jump scarer a few feet away, chatting and laughing about one of the girls that had run through before. Apparently she'd had the best scream they'd heard in a while.

The week after went extremely slow. Austin and Dez were both eighteen and out of school, so Ally didn't get to see them all week long. She thought about her kiss with the attractive boy and how wonderful it made her feel. If she thought back hard enough, she could still feel his lips on hers and the smell of his hair when it tickled her nose. He smelled earthy.

"Daydreaming about your boyfriend?" Trish teased from over her desk.

Ally shot her a look, "Are you daydreaming about yours?"

The girl smirked and nodded, "Oh yeah." She giggled, "Who would have thought?"

"Not me," she agreed. "I didn't even think I would make it through opening night."

"And now we have a four day weekend of scares coming up because of Columbus Day."

"I'm excited." Ally knew she would probably be back in the house for the majority of it, but she knew at least one of those nights her stand in would have her chance to be the scarer. And that meant she was in the corn maze. This meant she could go searching for anyone who could have hidden behind trees. Or maybe even a ghost.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Her sudden question caught Trish off guard and it made her pleased. It was hard to do that with Trish. And since the question was coming from someone who couldn't even utter the word two weeks prior, it was saying something.

"I don't know. I've never seen one, but I've never seen California, either. Does that mean an entire state doesn't exist?"

Her friend had a good point.

"Why? You think you saw a ghost?"

"No," she said, too quickly and causing her friend to give her another look. "No. Oh my God. If I saw a ghost, I'd be on the floor, Trish!" She had a good cover, at least. "I'm just asking. You have to wonder if events like these cause others to come about."

"Let's hope not. I wouldn't know who was who when we're all covered in fake blood and guts."

Only Mitch wasn't covered in blood and guts, she thought. He looked just like everyone else.

That weekend, Ally set off from school early and got to the haunted house before many others. They weren't set for make up for another hour, but she wanted to head into the maze and see what she could find. Austin had already texted her that he would not be doing the stunt that night because it was much too windy and Jim had banned him from it. So, he would be a jump scarer being chased by Joe instead. Still, she knew he often headed out here early himself, probably to be close to his brother before all the teenagers and such came through.

And it was creepy. You wouldn't think it was in the daylight, but the sets alone put shivers down her spine. And she was also alone, in a corn maze, where she had thought she'd seen a ghost last weekend. Ally might be getting better at the whole 'not being terrified of the world' thing, but it didn't mean that she was okay with this. Her heart pounded in it's chest.

She made her way through the shifting corn, the wind blowing them toward and away from her. Some of the sets, which were activated by noise, alarmed her but she continued until she reached the one she was looking for. Without the lights and the actors, it just looked like a tree with a rope hanging from it. But then she saw the markings (and the rest of the set around it) with his initials and everyone's messages. Beyond that, she could see a small flower garden that you'd never notice at night. She climbed over the small fence and headed that way, studying the marking closer.

Her heart hammered in her chest, filling with sadness for the boy. How scared he must have been when the rope tightened over this throat, and his screams only making others think he was a fantastic actor. "I'm so sorry," she murmured quietly to herself.

"I made that choice."

Ally fell face first into the tree, screaming when someone touched her shoulder.

She finally regained her bearings and glanced around, seeing no one. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't. She heard a voice, heard him state that. Ally got up and looked up and down the corn maze, looking for anyone who could have been goofing off in such a horrible way.

"Don't be scared."

She whirled around a few times, finding no one.

A chuckle made her scream again.

"I'm sorry!" the voice said. "I'm new at this. Please don't be scared."

Ally tried to relax, but considering the voice she heard seemed to be coming out of thin air, it was a bit hard.

"You're him, aren't you?" she whispered into the corn. "You're Austin's brother."

The voice didn't answer her at first, then quietly said, "Yes."

"Why can't I see you? I saw you the other night!"

"I don't know," the voice answered her. "I've never had anyone see me before."

Ally just stood there. "This isn't real. I must have hit my head or something. I'm dreaming. I'm unconscious! Oh my God. They're going to find me laying somewhere in this corn maze and think I did something stupid. Probably assume I fainted from one of the sets! Luna has worked so hard for me not to do that!"

The voice chuckled again, "He's so right."

"Excuse me?" She scolded herself immediately, "Great, I'm answering the voice now."

"I said he's so right. You are quite dramatic. Just as pretty as he said, too."

"Thanks creepy voice guy."

"My name is Mitch."

Her shivers returned. "I know that."

"I can feel your sadness, you know." The corn maze shifted. "I feel emotions well. I think that's what keeps me here. Usually it's the fear. But the excitement, too. I've never felt this kind of sadness though. Don't feel sorry for me."

"Don't feel sorry for you?" she stated. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not. Like I said to you before, I made this choice. I wanted to do the stunt and unfortunately, I paid the price for taking on something risky. Austin told you what happened, he said he did. So you know that I died doing something that I loved."

"And alone."

"Yeah, there is that. But am I really alone? I'm with a thousand other people a night who love what I love."

"And rest of the year?" she demanded. "When no one is around and the corn is gone until next summer?"

The voice chuckled, "You're quite direct."

"I have a best friend who makes me that way."

"The winter and spring is lonely. But Austin breaks in from time to time."

"He really misses you."

"I know that."

Ally sat down on the table that had fake body parts on it. "So, here we are. I'm having a conversation with a dead guy I can't see."

"Jeez. You could be a little nicer about it."

Ally smiled slightly, "Would you be?"

"Maybe not."

"I have to go soon. Austin is here early, as I'm sure you know. But I can come back! I'm not really sure how this works, and I still think I'm going to get checked out by Luna for head injuries… but this has been… nice. You know?"

The voice laughed, "You're good for him, Ally."

"Thanks."

"And please, don't tell him about this? I don't know if I can only talk to you, or what. I've never had this happen and while I know he feels me when he's here, I don't think he's ready to know that his brother is still around and that you can hear him."

"Okay," she said quietly. "Well… I guess until next time? I'll come early tomorrow, if you want."

Mitch was quiet for a moment, "Yeah. That'd be nice."

Ally Dawson got up, waving at the wind and then walked toward the exit. And laughed. She just made plans with a ghost.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for your reviews and favorites and all that! I'm glad that people are happy that I continued the story. Now, some people had questions about Luna. She sort of looks like... I can't really find a picture to describe her. Her make up is based off one of the girls at the house I went to, but out of the make up, she'd be very alternative looking. Brown hair with pink and green highlights in it, but not really teenage looking either. Remember, she's about 23. She's sort of the pride of the house, they all love her. Put it that way. I'm still trying to find a picture that'll do her justice outside of make up, but for right now, just consider her seriously badass. As for her name, I chose it off of another actor at the house whose name was published in the local paper here about the house.**

**Also, I got chased both by chainsaws and a fucking clown the second time I went, and it was freakin' awesome (when I was screaming my ass off).**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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><p>Everyone arrived not long after that, and Ally busied herself with their make up artists, getting into character for the night. She found out she'd be in the house both Sunday and Monday, but in the field that night and the night after. She didn't mind, and now that she knew that she was not only with Austin, but had Mitch watching over her too, she was even more interested in what was to come. They painted her face and worked on her costume. She would be playing a jump scarer, but this time, she got to follow people. According to Luna, people were reacting to her well. They wanted to see what she could do.<p>

"I don't think I'm that good." Ally glanced in the mirror at her costume, shivering when Luna grinned at her. The Queen of the House as others called her, she always had some of the best costumes and make up. They varied a bit depending on the night and who was available, but their resident scream queen rocked it all.

"You're doing fantastic. I heard some people talking about you when they got to my room last week!"

"Really?"

Luna nodded. Her phone went off as she stuck her hand in some fake blood, causing her to groan. "That happens every time! Ally, could you see who that is?"

Ally laughed at her annoyance and picked up the girl's phone. "It's Austin. Says he's running a little late. Oh… he says he couldn't get past his parents." She quieted momentarily, "Before you say anything, I know. He told me."

"Did he?" she mused. "Well, that's okay. He's usually early anyway. Just text him back for me and tell him it's fine." The girl smiled. "He's always so worried about not being here on time."

"He's always the first one here!"

"I know."

Ally texted him and then went to exit out of the screen, only to almost drop the phone in alarm. Luna's background was a picture of her and Mitch. Her eyes widened.

"That's Mitchie," she giggled, coming over to look at the boy. She stiffened after a moment, looking sadly in the direction of the corn maze. "He was such a good guy. I miss him so much every day. I'd do anything to have one more deranged conversation with that freak." Ally glanced at her. "Don't take that the wrong way. I'm a freak too. It's why we got a long so great."

If only she knew how close he truly was. "We you together?"

"No," she murmured. "I think he liked me, but he never had the nerve to ask me out. I always wonder what would have happened if... you know."

"Tell me about him." Ally sat on the nearest chair as one of the make up artists continued to work on her face. "I'd love to know more about him."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"He loved all things horror. He really was a freak of nature. I'd met my match. I loved coming to work every day and hearing about  
>some weird horror movie he'd watched over the weekend, or the haunt from a few states over he wanted to road trip to. He loved doing this, so much. He loved to get people to scream in fear. He was part of my set before he did the maze and we freaked people out so bad together. We worked well as a team. He also loved Austin. He treated him like an equal and a partner in crime. It's been really hard on Austin… he misses him so much. I know he goes out into the maze sometimes and just sits there. I don't know what he expects to find. I get why he does it, but I don't know how he can sit there. I went in their once since the accident. I felt like throwing up the moment I got to the tree. I haven't gone back in sense. I should have done something. I should have known. The problem was that he was so good at it."<p>

"He died doing what he loved," she told her, speaking from what the boy had told her, but in her eyes speaking in what was hopes to make her feel better. "He'd want you to think of it that way."

"They wanted to tear the set down," she admitted, looking toward the maze herself. "As much as I don't want to be anywhere near it, I couldn't let them. Mitch would have been pissed. Sometimes I wonder if he's still out there, waiting for someone to scare."

"Oh, I bet he is," Ally laughed nervously. "Would fit, wouldn't it? The horror freak being able to truly haunt people."

Luna grinned, "He would. He'd do it if he could."

"Ally!" Sometime later, Austin came running up to her, fully in costume but not his usual one. He looked downright creepy and had she not known the voice, she might have went running. He paused as he came up to her, grinning ear to ear. He stopped just before he'd crash into her and then shook her shoulders. "We're working together tonight!"

"What?"

Her response only seemed to fuel his excitement. "In the maze! Remember how I said I can't do my set tonight because of the wind? Well, Joe is going to chase us. We're going to jump out, you're going to try to drag me—hence all the blood—and Joe is going to run up to us and drag me away through the corn! I begged Jim for hours to let me work with you. I really wanted to."

Her cheeks burned at this. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I heard your scream the other night. It rocks." He paused. "Mitch would have loved it."

She thought back to his chuckle in the corn earlier that day. "I'm sure he would have, too. So, should we practice? Or?"

"Practice? I don't know. I mean, do you think you need to? I'm good at pulling stuff out of my ass." His grin made her laugh again and she swatted him. "But if you want to, I'm all for it."

Ally followed him toward the maze, a little nervous to head back in there. She still was somewhat convinced she was insane and that hearing Mitch talk to her was all in her head. But at the same time, she knew she really was talking to him. Would he see her? Could he always see her? Her hand was in Austin's and her heart was hammering in both fear and excitement. His hand was warm; she felt as if they fit together perfectly.

She couldn't tell if the wind was just picking up, or if that was his brother's way of alerting her to his presence. She didn't think so, as last time she could feel the hairs on her neck stand up when he was close. Still, she glanced around her and made faces into the corn, as if to say she was enjoying herself. Austin, much like Luna and Mitch, was quite twisted. He spoke about the Texas Chainsaw movies and how he always wanted to do something like this.

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

Ally laughed, shaking her head, "I don't have one, remember? You wouldn't have even gotten me through the door a month ago."

"Right. You need to come over my house and we need to have a marathon." He looked around him. "We need a real first date. What do you say?"

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck shoot up and shivered. "Yeah. Yeah… I'd like that."

A voice tickled her ear, "You're blushing."

"Of course I am!"

Austin looked confused, "What?"

"Nothing," she laughed. "I'd love to. Whenever you want, but don't be surprised if I'm hiding in my shirt all night long."

By the time Ally was satisfied with the practice, it was almost time for the fans to be let in. Austin went to find Joe, leaving her alone in the corn maze for a moment. She glanced around her, looking for any sign of his brother. "I don't know how thinks works, but I definitely felt you before."

Nothing happened.

Ally sighed, thinking about checking herself into a hospital when the night was all said and done, and leaned against the tree. She found herself getting bored and a little scared as she waited for everyone to enter, and the rope that hung above her sent chills down her spine. Luckily, even if Mitch was watching, he could only sense her fear. He couldn't know what she was thinking and despite what he'd said and what she was supposed to believe, she wondered how he truly felt in those last few seconds.

Did he like Luna? Did he want to make a move on her? What did he think now that she wouldn't enter the maze?

"Ally!"

Joe came running up to her, the chainsaw bobbing on his side. "Austin will be right in. He wanted to make sure you were good with being chased by one of these."

"I am," she assured him. "Not a big deal."

"Great. I'm going to be in there," he pointed to the break in the corn, and will come after Austin first since he'll be on the ground and all. We should be good. They're getting fans tickets now, it shouldn't be too long before they're on line. If you have any problems tonight, let me know. I know you're still new at this."

She thanked him and watched as he stalked into the corn, waiting from a distance. Austin returned minutes later and she felt her excitement rise. She was going to be working with the guy she liked, in a scene that she knew meant a lot to him. And they were going to be scaring people who wanted this. All in all, she felt pretty happy.

The first few groups that went through enjoyed the act. Ally dragged Austin through the corn, pulling her 'injured' friend so that he wouldn't get murdered. She screamed when Joe came through the opening, grabbing hold of Austin and disappearing with him into the dark. His screams were so loud and she even had to shudder. She followed the group pleading for them to help her. Their finale was when Austin was 'thrown' into the middle of the path, practically torn to shreds, one last attempt to scare them before Joe tossed him back into their little personal game.

The fans screamed their asses off. Ally smiled when they left, slapping hands with her bloodied friend. "You look disgusting," she told him, as he poured more blood all over him. He splashed some on her and she squealed, pushing him into the corn.

The next group was coming fast and from the sounds of it, they were all terrified. Screams were plentiful and she knew they were going to have a great time with this one. She got into place, waiting for Austin who took her hand. Then, they jumped out. "Help us! Please! He's coming back! My friend is hurt! He's going to kill us!" She got into the face of one of the girl's, shouting into her ear, begging her to help.

Austin got more into the face of another girl who looked downright terrified as the sound of the chainsaw started up. She edged away from him and went to go around, but had no where to go. Austin continued his verbal pleading and then, it all happened so quickly. He was just doing his job, but the girl seemed to forget the rules. She had her fist connecting with his face in seconds, sending Austin toppling over the fence. Her eyes widened even further when she realized what she did, and her friends pulled her along, apologizing to them both as Joe came out, and Austin wasn't there. He hid the mistake well and chased after the girls, yelling that they were his next victims.

Ally finally ran back to where Austin had fell, and helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"That girl hit hard," he said, spitting into the corn. His mouth was bleeding. She gasped, touching his face to take a closer look. "Damn it."

"Are you okay though? Should we call it in?"

"I'm fine," he assured her, and then grinned creepily. "Only adds to the character."

He was covered in corn dust and looked a bit worse for wear, but it didn't seem to faze him. By the time Joe was back, they were ready for the next group and the night went on. When the last group went through, all three of them were laughing and smiling, knowing the night had been a success. "We're a good team," Austin told her, pulling her close which made her blush. "I wish I could keep you out here."

The wind picked up again, and something giggled into her ear. She glanced at Austin, wondering if he heard it too. He just looked back at her lovingly. Ally smiled back, but couldn't help but think she was lying to the boy she was falling hard for.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for your reviews and favorites and all that! Sorry it's been a while. Life gets busy and having more than one story to update can be challenging... but here is the next update. I'm leaving off before their date in this chapter because the next chapter is going to be more of Austin's background and his life with Mitch, and I think that's an important thing to see separately.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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><p>Ally arrived early as promised to her ghoulish new friend the next day, trekking through the corn maze until she reached the set she'd become familiar with. She took measured steps and was careful to monitor every sound in case she missed him. Every stride sent her trembling, not sure what she could encounter along her way. She paused at the tree, peering up at the rope which swung gently in the breeze. She spun a few times for any sign of the boy, or a whisper that might be a bit hard to hear.<p>

"Mitch?" she called out. "Hello?"

Defeated when no one answered her, she leaned against the tree.

"Great. Now I'm here and it isn't working."

She pulled out her phone, searching through an engine to look up things about spirits. Her memory from the day before reminded her that his presence depended on emotions, but she wasn't feeling anything that extreme that day. Maybe a bit annoyed to be hanging out in a creepy corn maze, but otherwise, she felt marvelous. Her mind shifted on his brother and their date after work that night. She tried to focus on that, thinking about how lovely it would feel it have his arms around her, his bare skin touching hers. Her cheeks burned immediately. Even her own thoughts could make her blush.

She heard him then, his chortle tickling her ear. "You're embarrassed. What happened? I've been watching you for the last few minutes."

"How does this work?" she cried, jumping up when she could feel him behind her. Even though she was trying to get him to find her, she still felt invaded by his presence. "I don't understand. How do you know when you can talk to me? Or do you just keep trying until I answer?"

"Something like that," he murmured, his voice hinting apology. "I'm new at this, too. What does your phone say?"

"Not a lot," she admitted. It wasn't like she had long to look. "It doesn't seem like any websites can agree on anything."

"We have to figure this out. I want to know why I can talk to you, but no one else."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I have a connection to your brother."

"I'd be able to talk to Luna then," he said quietly.

"But she's never in here," she pointed out. "How could you even tell?"

She whirled around, looking for anything that directed where he came from. It was eerie to speak to the wind or air. Besides, her luck someone would show up.

"I can't leave the grounds, but she's been close enough that she could hear me. I've tried. Everything. It doesn't work."

Ally huffed, "Great. I'm a freak."

"No. You're special."

She shrugged, "If you say so."

"I need your help," he pleaded. "I need to figure this out. I know it has to do with emotions because I feel the best at night. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to talk to people like you when you're in the middle of the maze. I can't exactly ask you a question while you're chasing the fans of this place."

"I know. And I heard you yesterday, by the way. You're going to make me look crazy."

She heard him chuckle, "Sorry."

"I saw you the other night. Remember? When Austin and I kissed? I don't understand that, either. We kissed during a break, so there were a ton of emotions happening all around you. I could see you, maybe others can too. There is only one way to find out."

"Not sure about that."

"Why not?"

"Do you want to explain to Jim why someone sees me and they can't explain the special effects of someone who really wasn't there?"

Ally shrugged, "Do you want answers or not?"

"Touché."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know it's not easy for you either."

"It's alright. I know you think you're going crazy right now, so I'm just trying to be happy that you're talking to me at all."

Ally leaned back against the tree, watching the corn sway back and forth. She did feel crazy. She couldn't see someone, but she could hear his voice. Anyone else would have run the opposite direction, but she was welcoming him.

"Ally?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not crazy," the quiet voice swore. "Please know that."

Timidly, she smiled. "If you say so."

A little while later, she literally ran into Austin, who was already half way in costume, a huge smile on his face. He finally stopped as she raised her eyebrows, wondering if everyone here was just crazy. When he didn't speak, just eerily smile at her, she prompted, "What is wrong with you?"

"Touché," he laughed and Ally was thrown for a loop because they managed to sound alike without even realizing it. "I have great news. Well, hopefully great news! Please say yes."

She raised her eyebrows again, "I have to know the question to answer yes or no."

He pointed a finger, smiling sheepishly. "You're right! So Jim and Luna just approached me. The fans are talking all about us on the internet and how awesome we were together! The reviews are at an all time high. How would you like to switch your character and come work in the maze with me full time?"

She was taken back. She didn't think she was all that great, but maybe part of it was because she enjoyed working with him so much that it showed in her acting skills. Or maybe she really was just good at it, and paired with someone even better, they shined. Still, she did like her character in the house. A breeze picked up then and she thought about Mitch and her promise to help him. It would be much easier to do that if she was around the set more often. She paused for effect one last time, glancing sideways toward whatever to see if he could give her his opinion.

A face was made when she felt nothing. Yeah, she needed to be out here. "I'll do it."

"Yes!" He pumped his fists into the air, dancing around her, swinging her in costume. "Yes! This is going to be great." He paused, giving her a look. "You are okay with me being in the tree, right? I know you know the story now, and I don't want to scare you at all."

"It's fine," she assured him. "I don't mind. Just be careful, that's all I ask."

Austin's smile reminded her of the one that Mitch had on his face the night they kissed and it made her too feel a bit warmer despite the breeze that night. "I will. But I do not promise to not scare your pants off!"

A chuckle entered her ear then and she smiled into the maze, shaking her head as he darted off toward the entrance. Ally found herself back against the tree, not sure what to say about the entire situation but still knowing he was around. "The emotions are high," she finally stated quietly. "And it looks like I'm here to stay."

"Yes," his voice answered. "Looks that way. Can't wait."

He was quiet for a moment,

"You know, you two sort of remind me of myself and Luna."

Ally was taken back, "Luna is a scream queen! I'm mostly just a screamer."

He chuckled again, "Oh, Ally."

Ally found it hard to concentrate that night despite it being their first official night together. She knew she was headed for a date after the show and wanted nothing more to be cuddling with the adorable blond who was scaring everyone. Her cheeks despite the cool air were warm and she could feel someone behind her sometimes, knowing his brother wasn't far. Joe was off that night, having a personal issue and there was a guy who she hadn't met before doing the chasing that night, which made her a little nervous. The guy was a little more rough, a little more real to her. She wondered what Mitch's opinion of the guy was.

By the time intermission rolled around, Ally was sweaty and out of breath. Quickly, she darted over to the tree, lowering the machine so that the 'noose' was no longer around Austin's neck. He rubbed it, as it was an actual rope and could leave burns from time to time.

"You okay?"

"Fine," Austin assured her. "I know you don't believe in them, but I swear: sometimes I feel Mitch here."

Ally's heart jumped in her throat. She didn't know if that was a good thing or bad, considering Mitch was new at this too. What would happen if he appeared during a set with fans about? She wasn't sure what Austin would do. Would he believe he was seeing things or would he know? Ally wished to tell him.

"Well, it's only natural," she finally commented, shooting a glance near the tree. "I'm sure you're not the only one who feels that way."

"I asked Luna about it once," he murmured as they walked toward the small area behind the corn where they kept water bottles and small snacks for that sort of thing. "She pretty much told me I was crazy and to never bring it up again. I think what happened seriously scarred her. I can't say it wouldn't have done the same to me."

Luna had found him, after all. Ally felt her sympathy rehash itself and she wondered how the girl managed to still work at this place at all. Honor for him or not, there was something a bit horrid about being anywhere near the set. Then again, Austin did it and she thought it noble of him. Something swatted the back of her head then and she flipped around, shooting daggers from her eyes. If he was learning, he shouldn't be using it to harm her when she was with his brother!

"What's the matter?" Austin asked, noticing her expression.

Ally glowered at the corn, "Nothing. Must be a fly."

"Oh, so now I'm a fly?!"

Austin laughed, "Don't let the corn make you crazy."

"Believe me, you have no idea," Ally murmured quietly as she grabbed a bottle of water.

The night went swiftly and soon they were behind the scenes using make up remover to get off the tough stains that often plagued their face. The problem with using commercial movie make up meant it was nearly impossible to get off. Soon, Ally was scrubbing at Austin's face, trying to get a particularly rough blood stain off his cheek. Luna found her way up to them, giggling at the situation. "How did you like the guy who chased you tonight?" she asked Ally.

"Who?" Ally muttered. "Oh! You mean the guy who replaced Joe? He was alright. Didn't talk much."

"Yeah," Austin agreed. "He was quiet. He looked familiar though."

Luna grinned a little, "He should. That's Ben. He was here… that year. Helped a lot with building the sets out in the corn maze. He's a technical genius."

"I remember him now!" Austin stated. "He was the one who helped Mitch with the set."

Luna nodded, "Yeah, that's him. Apparently, he had some personal issues the last couple of years, but he's back now. I don't know if he's in the maze to stay or not, since Joe has been doing it for the last two, but I know they'll find a good spot for him. He's twisted and I love it."

"Whose twisted and you love it?"

Speak of the man; Ben came walking up to him. Ally finally dropped the make up wipe she was using; surprised to see under the chainsaw costume the guy was quite attractive. He was tall, much like Joe was because it was needed for the character, and quite muscular where some others weren't. And he had these striking green eyes that Ally couldn't help but stare at. He seemed to notice, pointing at her.

"You! You have a great scream," he stated.

Ally blushed, "It's natural when someone in a terrifying costume is chasing you."

Luna giggled, "That's Ally, Ben. She's new this year. She's my little prodigy but she doesn't even know it. Be nice to her."

"Would I ever be anything else?"

Austin laughed, "I remember you as quite the prankster."

"Ahh," Ben too laughed. "Good to know my reputation has stuck around. Be on the lookout," he teased. He then turned to Luna, "And what are you doing tonight, Ms. Queen?"

"Oh, I was just going to head home," she teased too. "Why, you offering me something better to do?"

Ben chuckled, "Maybe."

"Well," Austin stated, standing up. "Me and Ally have a date. Catch you two later."

Ally waved as he grabbed her arm, pulling her away. She noticed Ben staring at them as they walked to her car, an interesting look on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for your reviews and favorites and all that! Again, sorry it took me so long to update. I was tinkering with what is going to happen in the story, and now have a better idea of where I'm going with it. It won't be as long as my others, but we are looking at about 15-20 chapters, I'd say. I'm putting it higher just in case something else comes to mind. The general ending for the story will be around Halloween in the story. It's currently Columbus Day weekend in this chapter, so there is some time. Remember, the haunt is only open on weekends, starting on Fridays. Anyway, I'm really pleased with how this chapter turned out, considering it started as sort of a pain to write. I hope you like it. :)**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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><p>Ally was surprised how silent Austin remained on the short ride to his home. She drove with his instructions, the only chatter he made until they were in front of his two story house. It was a suburban home, much like her own; with a wide porch and a two car drive way. She noticed his car still on the side of the street, and it reminded her that he had gotten there by Dez that day. Some times, it was hard to sneak to work when your parents don't know where you earn your cash from. Especially when it was the same place your brother died a few years prior.<p>

Ally bit back a smile at the thought of Mitch. Did he realize just where their first date would be held? He'd tease her up and down the corn maze if he knew. Finally, Austin cleared his throat, offering her a tentative smile, getting out of the car. It would be interesting to see how he explained her appearance to his parents, considering he couldn't say where they actually met.

She followed him up the stone path until they were in front of the door, which he quickly unlocked and much to her surprise, to a dark home. He shrugged his shoulders as if he sensed her question, "My parents probably are at a party. They tend to do that. It's their way of dealing with the past."

"Drinking?"

"Partying in general," he admitted.

Ally frowned but didn't push the boy further. She followed him into the kitchen that was kept almost perfectly, with an island in the middle.

Austin motioned to a chair, "Take a seat. I'll make us some snacks and we'll start our movie marathon."

"I was hoping you would forget about that part of the date."

He turned to give her a teasing smile, "Oh no. You are watching the best of the best."

"Yeah?"

"Mitch and Luna chose these years ago. They're our favorites."

"Should I be afraid?"

He gave her a look that she recognized as one of the ones he used for his scene.

"Fair enough."

"You'll like them though. They all have something special. A true meaning of horror."

"Can I hide behind the covers?"

"No."

She grinned a little, "What about cuddling?"

Austin turned again as he placed some food into bowls. "I'll allow that."

She noticed the teasing tone and smirked to herself. "Tell me more about your brother."

He froze in front of the microwave. "What do you want to know?"

Ally got up, walking over to where he stood. "I don't know. I know how much you loved him. Tell me about him. Luna says he was just as twisted as her."

"Luna and him were inseparable," he agreed. "He used spend hours searching the internet for horror movies and scary shit. I never thought I'd get into it, but it kind of just gets to you. I love it myself, but I don't think I'll ever love it as much as he did. Luna and him should have been dating for years now, on their way to an engagement…"

"She did say she thought he liked her."

Austin laughed, "She thought? He was head over heels for her. Used to come home from the haunt and tell me how he was going to marry this girl at the place every day. He thought he could out scare her. Never worked, but then again, maybe it did."

She shivered involuntarily. "Well, I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it. Mitch is gone, but I know he'll always live on between myself and the haunt. Luna still has her background on her phone the last picture they took together. I don't understand why my parents are so upset with the haunt; it wasn't their fault. I know if Mitch knew he'd be pissed, he'd never want to harm the place. I know he'd be proud of me."

"I'm sure he is."

Austin smiled at her and took the food he'd gathered in his hands. "Come on, let's go upstairs. My room has the best set up for watching movies."

He moved quickly through the hallway, to a stairway that was littered with pictures on the way up. She studied them as she walked, surprised to only see Austin and his parents in the majority of them, and the few that weren't them were strangers to her. Where was Mitch? Did they try and erase that he was ever there? Was his memory too much for them? Her heart hurt for the man stuck in the corn maze; he'd never know that his family seemingly couldn't handle that he was gone. At least, gone to them.

She considered asking her date the question, but figured she already had the answer. At least Austin seemed to still care about his brother. She confirmed this thought when she entered his room and saw several pictures that were decorating his walls. Pictures of him at the haunt, with Luna in costume. She shivered at those the most, because from a distance, it looked like Austin. While Austin was more jock-body type, he was a bit more stocky yet lean, his eyes a bright blue. His costume still reminded her of the boy setting up beside the bed though, a huge TV situated on a table with more DVDs than she knew possible next to that. He turned to look at her and laughed, "That picture of him and Luna is my favorite. That was the first year they worked together, back when he was just a jump scarer who wanted to scare his way into her heart."

"Do you think Luna liked him too?"

He nodded after a second. "I do, but I think she wanted him to pursue her. Luna's not the type to go after someone. She's rather they come to her. It's a shame."

She nodded and went to the next picture. A picture of him and Mitch together. Side by side, she was able to notice the differences more easily, but it was still clear that they were brothers. She immediately realized as her eyes went to the next and then after that, that his brother's memory would only live on in those in the haunt, himself and now her too included.

"I forgot drinks!" he announced. "Be right back. Make your self comfy!"

She laughed as he darted out of the room and quickly pulled out her phone, snapping pictures that were on the wall. She figured that her new ghostly friend hadn't seen these in years or a picture of Luna for that same reason and wanted to remind him just how much he was missed. Besides, something would have to trigger his new found powers to grow, and she was eager to figure out what that was.

"Back!" he said as she plopped onto the bed. He handed her a drink and then sat down next to her on the bed, grinning ear to ear as he announced their first movie. A classic, he stated, was the movie Halloween. She couldn't help but laugh, knowing she had seen part of that. Trish had black and blues for weeks from her grip, before she finally begged her to turn it off. She hoped history wouldn't repeat itself with Austin. That would be very embarrassing both to her, and him.

Sometime later, she found herself oddly relaxed. He let her hide in his side when needed, but also taught her some of the things horror movies survived by. She learned as much as she watched and by the end of the night, not only were they cuddling in his bed, but she wasn't shaking from fear. She actually felt sort of… at home with him. It didn't feel foreign by any means; she didn't feel like she wasn't supposed to be there. Ally wondered why this was. The last movie had ended about a half hour ago, but neither of them had tried to get out of bed and change it to a new one. He had one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him while he planted a kiss on her neck every now and then. She could feel his chest rise and fall as it was pressed against her. She truly enjoyed the moment.

Until a door slammed downstairs and she heard, "Austin! We're home! Where are you?"

He cursed, immediately getting up and cleaning the room around him. The DVDs disappeared from sight and he quickly made the bed, trying to assure his date at the same time that everything was fine, they wouldn't be mad. Ally stood in the corner, a little afraid of what was going to happen when they opened his room and found a girl standing there. It wasn't like she was wearing no clothes, or they'd been doing anything naughty, because they hadn't been. She was also relieved that Mitch was stuck at the maze because she knew he'd be giggling in her ear at this point if not, too.

The footsteps got louder until they were outside of his door and without a knock, it opened.

"Austin!" a blonde woman scolded. "I was calling you!"

"Sorry, mom," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't hear you. How was your night?"

"It was—who is this?"

Ally was spotted. The blonde woman, dressed extravagantly in a sequined black cocktail dress, turned to look at her with eyes that somehow scared her. "This is Ally, mom. She's a friend. I invited her over tonight to watch a movie or two. It was short notice, or I would have told you."

"Where did you meet her?" The woman's eyes didn't leave Ally. She wondered if she could sense the traces of make up on her face. It was late; her parents would have killed her on the spot if she was found in a room with a boy at this hour. Luckily, they thought she was with Trish. Still, this woman didn't seem concerned about the hour, or the fact that they were alone, at all.

"I met her at a party last week," he quickly lied and surprisingly well. "We hit it off. She's into a lot of the same music I am."

"Is that so?" She smiled at Ally, though it seemed almost fake. "And what a beautiful girl she is. Nice to meet you, Ally." The woman swung her hair back. "Well, on that note, I think I will retire to bed with your father. Remember Austin, you need to start looking for a job this week. You've been spending too much time with your friends. You need to start working."

His cheeks burned. "I will, mom. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The moment the door closed, Austin began to apologize, "I am so sorry. I didn't think they'd be home until the morning, to be honest. She's a bit… demanding. Again, I'm sorry. She doesn't care that you're here, she just wants to know every moment of my life so that somehow she thinks she knows what's going on." He paused, looking a bit sheepish. "Like me looking for a job. She doesn't know I have one, obviously."

"Luna told me."

He shook his head, "It's ridiculous. She'd rather pretend what makes me happy doesn't exist. I have to bend over backwards to lie every weekend so that I can get to the haunt. One of these days, someone is going to find out and I'm going to be so screwed."

"You're eighteen; she can't possibly stop you from having a job, can she?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I still live here. I don't have the money or the means to move out. It's not that I really want to, either. Despite this, they're not bad. They're overprotective in a lot of ways, but they're not bad. I mean, most of the time they're not even around. I pretty much have the house to myself. They own a store in the city; they either are working there, or going to their own parties. I rarely see them. It's how I get away with not getting a job. Because the question only gets asked on a monthly basis."

Ally blinked in surprise. "My father would have already thrown you to the streets if he caught me in a room with a boy."

He chuckled, "Don't blame him."

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"Shouldn't you be getting home?" he worried. "I don't want to make your parents upset."

"They think I'm at Trish's," she said nervously. "I don't have to be anywhere."

"Well, I know what we could do…"

"You have to tell me all about it!" Ally ran away from her best friend, who followed her through the backstage area of the haunted house. It was Columbus Day, their last day before the work week started again, and also the last day she could catch Mitch for another four days. But her best friend knew that something went down last night, as her face was a dead giveaway. She couldn't help it. She just… didn't have a poker face.

"No! I'm not talking about it!"

"Did you have sex?"

Ally froze in place, turning around to give her best friend a wild look. "Excuse you! I do not have sex on the first date!"

"I'm kidding," Trish joked. "I was just trying to get you to stop. Come on, tell me! I'll tell you about my date with Dez."

She gave into her best friend's demands, figuring they were there way earlier than anyone else anyway, and it wouldn't hurt to stop for a few minutes before trying to find her crush's brother. "Okay, fine. So, we watched movies until it was really late and his parents showed up. And before you ask, no they didn't care that I was still there. Actually, they seemed to care less. After they went to bed, we made out. … and clothes might have come off at some point, and ugh! Stop giggling! This is why I didn't want to tell you! It wasn't like that. I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did."

"Is he a good kisser?"

Ally leaned against a display, smiling to herself. "Oh yeah."

"Dez is too. I wasn't expecting that."

"I still can't believe you're with him," Ally admitted. "He's not your type, at all."

"Well, I really like him. He's funny and weird."

Ally didn't comment on that. "Well, I need to go check the maze. I think I lost something there the other day. I couldn't find it in my bag the other night."

"Want me to go with you? It's still creepy in there during the day."

"No, no. It's okay. I'll be fine. I'll catch you in like a half hour, okay?"

"Sure thing, girl. Remember, when you do have sex, wear protection!"

Ally squeaked as her friend ran off, shaking her head. All she needed was for Mitch to sense her embarrassment. As she neared the corn maze, she tried to shake it off. There would be no explaining what happened with his brother last night. It was bad enough telling her best friend, let alone his… dead brother.

By the time she made it inside, she was feeling better. She walked the short distance to their set up, searching for any sign of her ghostly friend. When she didn't sense him, she sighed. "I wish there was a handbook for this." Slumping down against the tree, she huffed. "Damn it."

"Everything okay?"

Ally nearly flew into the branches ahead. Much to her surprise, it wasn't Mitch that was standing over her, but the guy from last night, Ben. He was holding some sort of wire, looking down at her with green eyes laced with concern. She bit back a laugh, wondering just how he managed to sneak up on her when he was so large.

"Sorry, didn't know you were there."

"What are you doing here?" Ben asked. "The haunt doesn't start for hours."

She raised her eyebrows. "Could ask you the same question."

He chuckled, showing her the wires. "I'm tech savvy. I'm fixing something for Jim."

"Oh."

"Didn't answer my question," he teased.

She didn't have an answer and felt the panic rising up in her. She wasn't a good liar under pressure and there was no way she could tell him the truth. Especially not him! She didn't know him and probably wouldn't believe her! "I uh…"

Beyond her, something crashed and it caught his attention. "What was that?"

A chuckle tickled her ear. "Don't worry, it's good."

"I don't know," Ally admitted. "It didn't sound good. Maybe you should go check."

"I will." He dropped the wires beside her. "Be right back. Stay here."

The tall, dark haired man disappeared into the corn maze and Ally turned to face where she felt the tickle come from. "You are going to get me into so much trouble someday!"

"Oh, relax."

"Yeah, easy for you to say. I don't want people to think I'm crazy."

"Too late," he teased into her ear.

"Mitch," she scolded.

"What did he say he was doing here again?"

Ally shrugged, "Fixing one of the sets, I guess."

"Weird."

"Why?"

"I didn't seem him near any of them. He was just wandering as far as I could tell."

Ally stiffened, "Maybe he didn't know which one."

"Which what?"

Ally jumped a second time as the tall man returned, giving her a look of confusion. Mitch! She was going to… oh wait, she couldn't harm him. A blush formed on her cheeks, for two reasons. "Nothing, I was just thinking out loud. I had lost something here last night and came to find it. Guess it's not here. Anyway, good luck with the set you're fixing! Will I see you tonight?"

"Oh, not in here. I'm working one of the money booths. Joe is here tonight."

"Oh, okay!"

"Do you like him?"

Ally was taken back by the question. "Who, Joe?"

"Yeah, is he good at this?"

Ally nodded her head. "Yeah, I'd say so. But then again, I'm new at this."

Ben smiled at her, "You're a natural. What about Austin?"

"What about him?"

"Do you like him?"

Her blush returned, "Is it obvious?"

"Oh, like that. Right. You guys had a date last night. I remember him saying that."

"And you had one with Luna…"

"_What?_!" She heard him huff, and tried to ignore the jealous ghost.

"Yeah, we did. Wasn't bad. She's a really cool girl. I missed working with her."

"Yeah, I really like her. She's taught me a lot."

Ben nodded, grabbing the wires again. "Alright, I'll let you go."

"See you later!"


End file.
